


Beauty and the Beast

by Airi_J



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Cheese puffs are important, Dark Past, F/M, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, No Angst, SO MUCH FLUFF, Water Fight, collage AU, fairy tail students, low key creepy, metalicana as a dad, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-25 01:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12519992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airi_J/pseuds/Airi_J
Summary: Levy is haunted by a dark past that she can't seem to let go of...until she starts attending the University of Fiore and moves into the Fairy Tail apartment complex. Here she meets a cast of colourful and eccentric characters, a particular long black haired, guy standing out the most...





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Levy McGarden let out a quiet sigh as she looked out the window of the yellow cab, her surroundings becoming less and less familiar with each passing second and her mood deteriorating along with the scent of home.

"Well that's what happens when you decide to go study on the other end of the country" she scolded herself, slightly regretting the harsh decision she had made in a fit of pure annoyance.

What better act of rebellion then to study as far away from your parents as possible?

Levy checked her phone and groaned inwardly, she had been in this dusty cab for the better part of four hours.

Of course it would have been easier for her to have taken a plane like her parents suggested, but once again she decided to be a little rebel and take a cheap cab, once again she regretted her decision dearly.

She pushed her short blue hair out of her eyes and tried to doze of to sleep again.

Almost half way there she thought with a bitter smile.

.

.

.

Gajeel Redfox rolled in his bed and checked his phone, 12:00pm. He groaned and shifted onto his stomach.

I still have a few hours of sleep, he thought trying to convince himself to go back to sleep even though he knew he shouldn't.

He sighed and mumbled a few cuss words before practically dragging himself out of bed, his IT assignment wasn't going to finish itself after all.

"God, I hate collage" he mumbled as he slowly walked into the bathroom.

.

.

.

Levy was woken up by the lack of movement from the cab. With a small groan she collected herself into sitting position and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Well you woke up just in time, we just entered Magnolia!" The cab driver said. Levy was one hundred percent sure that he was just excited to get rid of her.

She checked her phone, 2pm. They made better time then she anticipated.

She looked out of the window and was speechless when she saw the beautiful town of Magnolia. The cobblestone street and small stream running through the town took her breath away.

The fancy cars and huge glass buildings gave the town a modern feel, although the general style was obviously plain and kind of middle ages, the combination made Magnolia even more stunning.

Her grin stretched when she saw the university of Fiore. It had a huge stone entryway and was clearly a cluster of huge stone buildings clutered around the campus area.

The cab driver was nice enough to drop her off at the apartment building she was going to stay in, Fairy Tail.

She had paid her deposit for a fully furnished , one person apartment. She chose Fairy Tail because it suited her budget perfectly and looked really comfortable in the dozens of pictures she saw.

She paid the cab driver, grabbed her bags and took a deep breath before opening the door to Fairy Tail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Gajeel sat at a table in the common area nursing a protein shake in his hands.

He couldn't see anything good coming out of this day, all he had on his agenda was finishing his overdue assignment and IF he was lucky he would manage to squeeze in an episode of the series he was currently hooked on too.

With a loud sigh he dropped his head onto the table and groaned.

My life sucks, he thought.

At that moment, the front door opened and a small figure, clearly carrying too many bags walked in.

In an over sized sweat shirt, jeans and converse, Gajeel quickly decided that the new kid was a boy, a very small boy. The boy placed most of his bags down next to the door, readjusted his beanie and pulled out a piece of paper.

With a small chuckle of pity, Gajeel decided to give the new boy a good hearted Fairy Tail welcome.

He quietly got up and casually walked up behind the new boy. Counting silently to three, Gajeel hit the boy's head.

Obviously not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to knock his beanie out.

To Gajeel's amazement, the most vibrant of blue fell out of the beanie and tumbled down the skinny boy's head, stopping just above his shoulder.

The boy squealed and spun around.

Gajeel felt the breath leave his body when he found himself staring into the most expressive pair of brown eyes he had ever seen.

He felt the blush creep up his face when he realised that the skinny boy he wanted to annoy, was actually a very pretty and now a very annoyed girl.

.

.

.

Levy glared daggers at the man who had just knocked her beanie off.

By the feel of the hit, she knew he didn't mean any harm and it didn't hurt, but it did piss her off.

She stopped and blinked a few times, was he blushing...? She wondered, noticing the red hint in his cheeks.

She arced an eyebrow up, waiting for him to explain himself.

She used his silence as an opportunity to examine him.

He had long spikey hair that was pulled into an untidy ponytail. He was clearly well built, she noted, reluctantly impressed.

That however wasn't what Levy was so transfixed on. What caught her attention was all the piercings he had.

With his size and all that metal, he kind of reminded her of an iron dragon.

Eventually she got tired of waiting for him to answer and decided to question him herself.

"What the hell was that for?" Levy asked, her voice calm.

Amazingly, his face got even redder.

"You're a girl." He said, sounding kind of nervous.

Levy's eyebrows shot up. "Thank you for telling me that, I had no idea." She deadpanned.

"I, umm, I'm sorry. I thought you were a dude..." He mumbled.

Levy sighed, "lovely" she muttered, before grabbing her beanie and her bags.

"Well I am going to go now, I'm sure I'll see you around" Levy said, before turning around and walking towards the staircase.

Half way there, she realised she had no idea where to go. With a groan she attempted to grab the folded piece of paper she had in her pocket.

"Where do you need to go?" She heard a vaguely familiar voice ask.

Puffing out her cheeks she muttered her reply.

"B6 huh" he said, clearly no longer phased by the beanie incident. "Well as luck would have it, I'm one floor above yours."

Levy rolled her eyes, "And how is that lucky?" She asked, feigning an annoyed tone, even though she was becoming fairly amused.

"Its lucky Shrimp, because I can not only show your lost soul where it is, but I can help with your stuff" he retorted, already grabbing two of the three bags she held in her arms.

She looked up at him and crossed her arms, "I didn't catch your name?"

He smirked, "Gajeel Redfox, and the Shrimp?" He inquired.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Levy McGarden. And please refrain from calling me Shrimp"

Gajeel laughed, "Loud and clear, Smurf"

She covered her face with her hands to look annoyed, but secretly hid a smile, "You know what, I think I preferred Shrimp."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Once Levy was done unpacking and setting up her things in her new apartment, she decided to go meet the person in charge of the apartment block.

With one slow walk around the apartment, she wanted to squeal with joy, she LOVED it! A huge bedroom, an angelic looking bathroom, a spacious kitchen, and a comfy lounge...it was everything she could have hoped for.

She silently praised herself for choosing Fairy Tail from all of the other apartment blocks on campus. She had to admit, Mermaid Heel and Saber Tooth both looked inviting as well, but she was drawn to Fairy Tail, like the moon was drawn too the earth.

She walked outside her apartment, locked up after her and pranced down the hallway and stairs into the common lounge.

Her jaw dropped when she walked in on the biggest brawl she had ever seen. There were people screaming and being thrown around, loud crashes from every direction and just a whole lot of insults being thrown around, but with all of this, the atmosphere still seemed friendly and good natured.

"DUCK!" A feminine voice screamed. Levy somehow knew it was directed at her and dropped onto her stomach in less then a second. Just as she hit the ground, a chair crashed into the wall she was standing by.

"Nice going! You almost killed the Shrimp, Flame Brain!" Levy heard a now familiar voice scream.

"It wasn't on purpose Metal Head! And who the hell is the Shrimp?!" Another male voice replied.

Levy couldn't help but giggle as she stood up, "That would be me." She stated, lifting up her hand.

Everyone went quiet and stared at Levy. Just as she was starting to get nervous, they erupted into cheering.

A pink haired boy walked up to her and flashed her a toothy grin, "I'm Natsu Dragneel!" He said. Levy smiled back at him, "Levy McGarden" she responded.

"Better known as Shrimp" Natsu said, laughter in his voice. He was promptly punched in the face by Gajeel, who appeared out of nowhere.

"You don't get to call her Shrimp!" Gajeel roared.

"Oh yeah, Bolts for Brain, and who's gonna stop me?!" Natsu roared back.

"Wow, you guys are lame." A black haired guy stated. She looked at him and quickly looked away, he was standing there in nothing but his boxers.

"Shut the hell up Stripper!" Natsu and Gajeel yelled in unison.

Now Stripper was a nick name she could understand by looking at him.

Her attention was drawn away from the crazy when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Levy turned around to see a pretty blonde girl, she smiled at her, "Its a lot to take in at first" she told Levy. She laughed, "I like it actually!" Levy said, being honest.

It was so loud and messy and crazy and busy and everything her life wasn't, everything she craved. So she took an instant liking to it. Another point Fairy Tail, she thought.

"I'm Lucy by the way" the blonde told her.

"I'm Levy, nice to meet you!" She replied.

"Same here!" Lucy laughed then smiled, "Wanna have a drink?" She offered her.

Levy grinned, "Sure!"

She followed Lucy through the chaos, to the side of the lounge that had a bar set up. The girls sat down on stools and Lucy ordered two tequila shots from the women working the bar. The white haired beauty smiled and said sure. "Thanks Mira!" Lucy yelled.

Levy arced her brow at her. Lucy looked up innocently, "Whaaaaat?" She asked. Levy shrugged, "Won't the person in charge be upset about drinking during the day? Or drinking here in general?" Lucy burst out laughing and pointed to the other end of the bar.

An old man sat on the counter with a jug of what looked like beer in his hand. He looked at Levy and gave her a kind smile, before screaming "Welcome to Fairy Tail!" He then started mumbling something about damning everyone else and how she should raise hell.

Levy turned to Lucy with wide eyes. Lucy laughed again, "And that is the person in charge, Mr. Makarov. He may seem super chilled, but he knows what he's doing." Judging by the friendly atmosphere in this room, Levy believed that easily.

Mira brought the alcohol to them and shot them an apologetic smile, "I would love to stay and talk, but I have loads of work to do, I will have a proper conversation with you soon Levy!" She said, before going to the other end of the bar and serving someone else.

Levy smiled, I really love this place, she thought.

The girls downed the shots and laughed. Levy stopped and scrunched up her nose, "Why the hell am I drinking in the middle of the day?" She asked no one in particular. Lucy grinned, "So you're not up for round two?" Levy laughed and shook her head, "I never said that!"

Lucy burst out laughing and gave Levy a warm and kind smile. Levy looked at her questioningly, "What?" She asked.

Lucy shook her head and kept on smiling, "You're going to fit in perfectly here"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Levy was laying in bed staring at the ceiling with a small smile etched across her face and the blanket pulled up to her chin.

Her first day at Fairy Tail had been beyond amazing. She met a whole crowd of friendly faces and after a very long, she felt like she had a place to call home.

Her smile got broader when she realised that she'll be starting her journalism course in a few days. Everything was finally falling into place.

The smile faltered when she thought about the last time she was actually happy. She thought about that night ten years ago, she remembered smiling and laughing...she also remembered how everything changed. How the rest of the night became a blur of wind, blood and tears.

She thought about him and felt her lower lip begin to tremble. She thought about the contrast of crimson blood on pure white snow.

She moved her hand over her face to push her hair back, and felt moisture on her cheek, she was crying she realised with a shock.

"I'm such a baby." She said to herself with a shaky laugh. Looks like nothing has changed, she thought bitterly.

She checked the time as she wiped her eyes, it was just after 3am. When did it get so late? She wondered.

She turned on her side and pulled the blanket up to her nose, trying and failing to fall asleep.

With a sigh of defeat, she climbed out of bed and walked to the kitchen. Cheese puffs would make everything okay, she decided.

Her cupboards were all lacking in the cheese puffs department. She rolled her eyes and decided to buy a bag from the vending machine.

She grabbed a note from her purse and pulled her mane of blue hair into a bun on top of her head.

She walked barefoot to the vending machine down the hall and groaned in frustration, the damn cheese puffs were sold out.

She considered her options and her mood. The only other place to snatch up a bag of those elusive puffs were at the vending machine in the common lounge.

Deciding that it was worth it, she carried her quest out and began walking further down the dark hallway, cursing herself for not wearing shoes.

.

.

.

Gajeel took a long swing from his can of Cola and smirked smugly to himself. Movies and Cola were everything good in this world, he decided. He petted the fluffy ball on his lap, Cola, Movies and Cats, he quickly corrected himself. The fluff ball twisted onto its back and began purring in response to Gajeel.

Gajeel sat in the common lounge, watching a movie he had hired from the DVD box. He had deemed it easier to watch the movie here and leave it back when he was done, then to take it back to his room and come all the way down to return it. Also, the vending machine was closer this way.

He was slowly getting engrossed in the movie when he heard light footsteps padding into the lounge. He turned around to see the Shrimp, who looked back at him with wide eyes.

Clearly she hadn't been expecting anyone to be here at this time of the night, or early morning.

He blushed slightly when he took in her appearance. She was wearing an old and over sized T-shirt that stopped mid thigh and had her hair in a messy pile on top of her head and to complete the rugged look, she was barefoot. He liked her messy look, he thought absently, before clearing his throat.

"Isn't it past your bedtime Shrimp?" He inquired, it was just so damn fun to tease her!

She rolled her big brown eyes so much he thought they were going to get stuck, "That is none of your business, Sasquatch." She retorted. He chuckled, she definitely had an attitude problem.

She slipped in a note in the vending machine and picked a number, "Why are you awake and sitting in the dark like a creep?" She asked innocently. "Maybe I am a creep." He answered, and instantly regretted it.

She laughed and scooped up her bag of chips, "Touché"

He smirked, "If you're having sleeping problems, you're more then welcome to watch this movie with me." He offered before internally smacking himself. He didn't even think for a second before opening his big mouth, it would be extremely awkward if she said no.

To his surprise, she walked up and plopped down next to him, "What're we watching?" She asked. He awkwardly told her the name and watched her face light up, "I love this movie!" She giggled. Gajeel arced a brow at her, "Doesn't seem your type." He commented. Levy scrunched up her nose, "Really? Oh well" she said with a shrug.

She's cute, I'll give her that, Gajeel noted.

"And who is this little guy?!" Levy cooed as she grabbed Pantherlily of his lap. "That is my partner in crime, Pantherlily." He informed her, curiously watching her interaction.

"Oh he's adorable." She said scratching under his chin. By this point, Lily was curled up on Levy's lap and was purring contently. Traitor! Gajeel thought with a small smile.

Gajeel looked up and realised how close Levy was sitting. He looked at her quietly, she wasn't just cute, he thought, she wasn't just pretty either.

He looked at her eyes and noticed they were a bit red, like she's been crying. "Oi, Shrimp." He called. She lifted her head up from Lily, and sighed, "Yes, Foxie?" She answered wiggling her eyebrows and making fun of his surname.

He ignored it, "You've been crying." He said in a matter of fact tone. She stiffened, "I'm fine." She stated in a cut off tone, "Just missing home I guess." She continued.

Gajeel knew that wasn't it, he didn't know how but he knew. He decided to let it slide, it wasn't his business...unless she wanted it to be.

"So where are you from?" She asked in a chirpy tone. Gajeel shrugged, he didn't exactly enjoy talking about his past, "A small town about an hour away from here, and you?" He asked, surprised that he was genuinely curious.

"A city, about 9 hours away." Was all she said. He arced a brow at her again, "You're a long way from home" he commented.

After that the conversation just kinda flowed between them. They spoke about everything and anything, although they easily kept the conversation away from their home lives.

Gajeel couldn't comprehend how much this tiny girl interested him. She was filled with a fire he had never seen before and he wanted to find that one ember that started it all.

She was a little lost about life, but that was okay, because he was to.

The pair spoke until the sun was up and keeping their eyes opened became to great of a challenge.

They both walked upstairs and said nothing as they went their separate ways.

At 6am, they both went to bed with tired smiles in their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Levy burst out laughing when she heard Gajeel singing along to the song on the radio.

They were driving back from a frozen yogurt store. Gajeel said he needed to restock for his midnight snacks and had forced Levy to come along with him. The pair ended up buying three tubs of it and eating some at the actual store.

They now drove back home in Gajeel's silver Range Rover, with a Katy Perry song blasting out of the radio, Gajeel singing along to it in unrecognisable tone and Levy laughing to the point of tears.

They've known each other for just over a month and Levy was mind blown by how close they've become. They stay up talking till all hours of the morning, she helps him with his studies and he helps her with the her social awkwardness, they had a mutual friendship that was quickly turning into a strong bond.

Levy finally calmed down from her laughing outburst and looked out the window. The now familiar streets were passing by in a slow kind of blur. She watched small children play on the streets and busy men and women walking briskly while on the phone.

That's when she saw him. He stood in the middle of the street in sweatpants and a hoodie, earphones in his ears and a lazy smile on his face. A smile she remembered, but couldn't place. She didn't have to remember the man to know something was wrong. She felt the blood drain from her face and her knuckles turned white from how hard she was clutching the seat. Where was he from?! She begged herself to remember, but it came up blank. Like she really didn't want to remember.

"Oi! Oi Shrimp!" Gajeel's voice cut through the fog of her thoughts. "Mhm?" She asked, trying to sound normal.

"What's up?" He asked, his voice filled with suspicion. Levy shrugged, "Just thought I saw something..." She trailed of. Gajeel arced a pierced eyebrow at her, "What did you see?" He asked, surprisingly gentle.

She hesitated and started fiddling with her hands, she really didn't want to go into what she just saw with Gajeel right now. Not after they had such a relaxing day out. Not after she knew he was in a great mood.

To her surprise he reached out and ruffled her hair, his hand trailing down to hers. He intertwined their fingers, almost absent mindedly. "You can tell me whenever you're ready, or not at all. I don't mind. As long as you know I'm here if you need to talk."

She smiled softly and squeezed his fingers with her own. He returned the gesture and grinned at her.

.

.

.

Gajeel silently praised himself for the smooth lie he told her. He minded a lot that she didn't or rather couldn't tell him. He had a craving to know everything about the Smurf sitting next to him, and it was not fun knowing she was clearly bothered by something but not knowing what it was exactly.

He glanced at their intertwined fingers. Her tiny hand was swallowed by his, it was comical actually and yet it caused a rush of energy through his entire body. He smiled to himself, she'll tell him eventually, he just needed to trust her judgement. God, when did I turn into such a pansy! He wondered.

Levy made him feel things he never would have thought he would feel, he didn't know what the fluttering in his stomach was every time he saw her, he didn't know why every time she laughed he couldn't help but smile, he didn't know why he found himself blushing every time she looked at him with those big brown eyes, he didn't know anything when it came to her, and to be honest, he liked that.

"What are you smiling about to yourself over there?" He heard her ask, a grin in her voice.

"Just can't wait to hoard myself up in my apartment and drown in frozen yogurt" he joked. She laughed and rolled her eyes, "I'm just not gonna say anything."

.

.

.

They pulled up at Fairy Tail too soon for Levy's liking, she was enjoying spending time with Gajeel like that.

She reluctantly hopped out of the SUV and waited for Gajeel before the pair started walking up the pathway to the apartment block.

Levy had almost forgotten her weird sighting, and was smiling again. Although she couldn't shake off the sick feeling in her stomach.

They walked into a loud and lively lounge, as usual. Levy walked curiously up to the bar, where a huge group of people were gathered in a circle around a couple of stools.

Levy gasped when she realised what was going on. There were two people seated on the stools, respective ends of a stick was in their mouths and they were eating it, getting closer and closer to each other.

Pocky, she thought. She knew that the objective of the game is to see who backs off before the players meet in the middle, which is the catch of the game, the kiss.

From what she could see, it was Erza and Jellal playing. Jellal's face was as red as Erza's hair. He didn't make it far before backing down, taking a final munch of the pocky stick, he pulled his head away and was greeted with a lot of boos and 'you suck!'s.

Jellal and Erza chose the next pair, Gray and Juvia.

Gray and his unofficial girlfriend was up next. Juvia blushed as she sat down and looked at Gray, who was amazingly blushing a shade almost as deep and bright as crimson. They put the pocky in place and began eating it, edging closer and closer. Eventually the last bite was taken and the couple was in small lip lock. As they broke apart, Gray's thumb slowly caressed her cheek. He smiled at her like she was the best thing that had happened to him. Juvia kissed his nose and giggled before they got up, hand in hand, smiling like six year olds on Christmas morning.

Juvia and Gray chose Natsu and Lucy. Levy giggled she watched her best friend, Lucy.

Lucy placed the pocky in her mouth and Natsu put the other end in his. Everyone held their breath as they watched the two slowly get closer and closer, after about two bites, Natsu backed down and grumbled something about public indecency. Gajeel snickered at him, "Oi, Flame brain, nice excuse!"

Natsu growled and pulled out a lighter from his pocket, using it to distract himself. His pyro habits are what got him the nickname, Natsu didn't smoke but he ALWAYS had a source of fire on him.

"Gajeel and Levy" She heard Lucy's clear voice say.

Levy froze.

Gajeel froze.

The entire lounge laughed.

She took a deep breath and allowed Gajeel to lead her to the stools.

.

.

.

Gajeel and Levy sat on the stools and accepted the pocky Mira had given them.

Levy stuck it in her mouth and Gajeel put the other end in his. His face lit up at their proximity, with a smirk he realised her face was red too.

He took the first bite, and Levy followed in suit. Their breath mixing and Gajeel could feel his heartbeat pick up. His hand moved on its own and held Levy's chin, guiding her towards him faster. He dared a look at her and saw her eyes were closed and she was a bright red.

They were a bite away, so close Gajeel thought. He wasn't going to lie and say he never thought about what their first kiss would be like, and amazingly, this scenario never came up.

Her hand came up and rested on his cheek. Gajeel shifted a little closer, his breathing get heavier.

With a sigh he pulled away. They will not have their first kiss because of a dumb game. He looked at Levy and his eyes widened when he saw something flash in hers...disappointment maybe?

He shook his head, no way. He faced the crowd and surprisingly wasn't slammed head on with comments, actually everything was quiet.

They all cleared their throats and looked away for some reason.

"Mira and Laxus!" Levy called, summoning the next couple, before she tugged Gajeel's arm and the pair walked up to Natsu and Lucy.

.

.

.

Levy tried to steady her breathing as she lead Gajeel to Natsu and Lucy. What was that?! She demanded to herself. In all honesty all she really wanted to know was why he pulled away, was what she felt really one sided? Maybe he pulled away because he just didn't like her like that...

Her thoughts were interrupted by loud laughter, insults, weird statements and friendly vibes. Just the way she liked it, she grinned and joined in on the crazy.

.

.

.

They were all too busy to notice the lone figure standing outside with a snarl on his face and a dark glint in his eye.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Levy took a long sip of her strawberry milkshake and sighed contently. She was sitting at the bar area in the common lounge, chatting to Mirajane.

She had grown to adore the white haired woman, who worked part time at the bar to help her pay for her rent and shopping obsessions and part time studying as a physics major.

Mira went to serve her boyfriend, Laxus. Levy smiled when she saw them talking, they were absolutely adorable. Even though the only time Levy had heard the blonde speak was when he was goading Natsu or Gajeel into a fight, she knew he was a good guy, and he clearly made Mira happy.

"Oii Shrimp!" Levy heard a gruff a voice call out. She took a deep pull from her shake, trying to calm down the butterflies she felt erupt in her belly.

She felt Gajeel settle down on the stool next to hers, "Oii, Shrimp." He said again.

Levy looked up and him and smiled warmly, she couldn't help herself. "Hey Gajeel." She responded brightly.

She furrowed her brows when she saw that his usual smirk was replaced with an extremely faint frown and his cheeks were ever so slightly red.

Her hand immediately went to his forehead, checking if he had a fever, "Gajeel! Are you okay? You don't look too good." She almost shouted.

Gajeel snickered, "I wish it was as easy as that..." He muttered, almost to himself.

Levy's eyebrows furrowed even more and she removed her hand, "What's going on Gajeel, if you're not sick then you're nervous."

Gajeel sighed, and regained some colour in his face, "I'm just extremely nervous"

She giggled at the thought of Gajeel pacing up and down his apartment with a nervous frown on his face, cussing every now and then.

"So what's up?" She asked slowly.

"What are you plans for tonight Shrimp?" He asked, his nervousness evident in his slightly shaky voice.

"I don't have any, why?" She answered, growing worried. It was completely out of character for Gajeel to look this stressed out.

He shrugged, trying to come of as relaxed and causal, but Levy didn't miss the tension in his shoulders, "You wanna do something with me then? You, uhmm, you don't have too, but I kinda figured that it would be kinda nice to go somewhere..."

Levy's eyes widened, was Gajeel actually asking her out on a date? Was this why he was nervous? Because of her?!

Levy laughed, "Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun."

Now Gajeel's eyes grew large, "Really? You don't have to come! Its just gonna be me and you. You might not eve-" Gajeel was cut of by laughter coming from Levy, "Gajeel, I want too. Its a date!" She giggled, and immediately regretted it. She kicked herself internally.

Gajeel's nervous frown slowly faded into a smile, "Yeah, it is. We'll leave at six, so I'll meet you downstairs." Was all he said before getting up and walking away.

Levy turned back to her milkshake and smiled, Gajeel was turning out to be someone special.

"So what are you gonna wear?" Levy was interrupted from her thoughts by a bubbly Mira.

Levy's eyes went huge, "Oh my God, I have no idea!" She clamped her plans over her mouth, "I don't even know where we're going!" Once she checked the time, she wanted to fall into a crack in the earth, she only had two hours.

She abandoned her milkshake and stood up on shaky legs, "Luuuuuuccccccyyyyyyyy" she wailed, stumbling towards her best friend.

Lucy looked up from her book when she finally heard Levy's distressed calls.

She shot to her feet so fast that Levy barely noticed, "Levy?! What's wrong?! Did Gajeel do something?!" Lucy screamed, anger and concern in her voice.

Levy nodded and stuck her bottom lip out, "He asked me out on a date two hours in advance and he didn't tell me where we're going so I don't know what to weeeeaaaaarrrrrrrrr" she practically cried.

Lucy burst out laughing, "That's it? I got you covered, I've been dreaming about your first date with Gajeel for months!"

Levy stared at her best friend, "You mean you saw this coming?"

Lucy nodded, "Well duh, you two have so much of chemistry, Mira could study you!"

Levy couldn't help but laugh, "Lu, come on!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and flipped her blonde hair off her shoulder, "Denial isn't just a river in Egypt."

She grabbed Levy's hand and pulled her through the building and into her room on the top floor.

Levy laughed she saw that Lucy's bed was currently occupied by Natsu and his strange blue cat Happy. Lucy smiled at the two for a second before taking her shoe off and throwing it at them. It hit Natsu on the face.

The pink haired boy woke up with a loud grunt of pain, "Hey! What's the big idea?" He asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"NATSU! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY DAMN ROOM! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN, YOU IDIOT!" Lucy scream so loudly that Levy felt her ears ring.

Natsu reluctantly rolled out of the bed, grabbed his cat and walked out without a word.

Lucy sighed and shot Levy an apologetic smile, "I'm really sorry about that, I don't know what goes on in that idiots head." She said, but Levy caught the fondness in her voice and smiled.

"Okay! back to business..stay right here." Lucy demanded as she raced to her cupboard. She came back five minutes later with a pile of clothes.

She handed Levy an orange dress, "This is a long top for me, but it should make the cut as a dress for you."

Levy was then given black leggings and a black head band. "This outfit should be perfect no matter what you guys get up too." Lucy told her, confidence in her voice.

Levy nodded, waved at her best friend and went back to her own apartment.

She shrieked when she saw the time, only an hour left!

In a blur of panic, she quickly showered, ate a bowl of two minute noodles and got dressed, with five minutes to spare.

Levy looked at herself in the mirror and almost gasped, Lucy was right, this outfit was amazing.

The dress stopped mid thigh and the leggings added a girlish touch to it. She had her hair loose, her blue waves purposely framing her face just before it stopped at her shoulders. She put light touches of mascara, eye liner and lip gloss.

With one final look in the mirror, she marched down stairs.

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Gajeel sat nervously on one of the couches in the common lounge. His nerves were getting the better of him so he was stressing out about every tiny detail, what if she didn't like where they were going? What if she didn't like what he was wearing? What if she didn't show up? The last thought froze the blood in his veins.

Just as he was about to really get worried, he saw her come downstairs.

His breath caught in his throat, she was absolutely stunning in that orange dress.

She smiled nervously up at him, "Hey Gajeel." She said. He cleared his throat, she was wearing make up, not the way most girls did, by plastering on foundation and powder, oh no, she had hints of it in places that made her beautiful features stand out, he liked it...a lot.

"That's a-a good look for you Levy." He said lamely, figuring one of her nick names just didn't do her justice right now.

She blushed, "That's a good look for you too."

Gajeel smiled, he was wearing a pair of black Jean and a black, fitted T-shirt.

"Ready to go?" He asked, offering her his hand.

"Oh but of course." She said, grabbing it.

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The car ride was filled with laughter and light conversation as always. Levy sighed happily as she looked out the window, the scenery becoming less familiar, but still had the classical hint of Magnolia.

After about half and hour driving, Levy could smell salt water and hear loud music. They rounded a corner and an unexpected array of lights ambushed her.

When her vision cleared she saw something she hadn't see in a long time, a carnival.

A huge grin stretched across her face and she practically started jumping up and down in her seat, "A carnival?! Its been years since I've been to one!" She squealed with joy.

Gajeel chuckled, "I'm glad you're impressed."

He was quiet as Levy gawked at everything, with a small smile playing across his lips.

Once the had parked and entered the carnival, Gajeel allowed Levy to drag him around.

She pulled him relentlessly from stall to stall and ride to ride.

Levy gasped in excitement when she noticed a black tent in the back, a haunted house!

Levy noticed Gajeel flinch at her suggestion of going in, was he scared?

With a smirk she tugged him inside the gloomy tent.

They walked around in the dark for two minutes before someone wrapped in toilet paper jumped out that them.

Levy's eyes widened when she heard a shriek from behind her, she whipped her head around to see Gajeel doubled over from shock.

He lifted his head up and looked at her with wide eyes. The scream, Levy realised, had originated from him.

Levy froze and covered her mouth.

Her eyes got big.

Her shoulders shook.

She made a "pfffffttt" sound.

And finally busted out laughing.

She laughed so hard, her tummy got sore and her eyes started to water.

She was doubled over and still laughing when she heard Gajeel growl, "Shut up Shrimp." That made her laugh even harder.

"Last chance..." He stated. Levy showed him a thumbs up because she was laughing too much to talk.

Gajeel shrugged, "It was your choice then."

He gently hauled her up onto his shoulders, like a sack of potatoes. Levy screamed but was still laughing. Gajeel walked out of the tent with her like that, muttering some profanities.

"Ga-a-a-jeel" Levy called, her voice filled with laughter, "Put me d-o-own" she pleaded, still laughing.

He kept walking, "Will you stop if I do?"

Levy tried to control her laughter, "Sure." She giggled.

Gajeel sighed and placed her down, and to his surprise, she had actually stopped.

"Where to next?" She next, her eyes gleaming. She watched Gajeel think for a second, "How about some food?" He asked.

Levy nodded eagerly, the noodles were no longer phasing her stomach.

She followed him to a Mexican food stall, where he bought them tacos.

Levy stared down at the mush of food in front of her, she had never eaten Mexican before so she was a bit sceptical.

Gajeel munched down on a huge bite before looking at her, "Not a fan of Mexican?" He asked, with a slightly worried tone. Levy shook her head, "Its not that, I've just never tried Mexican before..."

Gajeel raised his eyebrow, "Well life is all about new experiences now isn't it, you can be scared about it or bite down and then decided."

Levy sighed, "You're too smart sometimes." She mimicked the way Gajeel held his and brought the taco to her mouth, taking a huge bite.

Her mouth instantly exploded with all the flavours, and she grinned up at Gajeel. She liked it.

Levy made it three bites in before she drained her soda, as well as Gajeel's. It was so damn spicy!

Gajeel laughed as he saw her eat it and squirm, but to her satisfaction, his laugh turned into an impressed smile when she finished it, "Wow, you finished that in record time!" He praised her, eating the last few bites of his.

She grinned up proudly at him, "It was nothing." She said, doing her best to ignore the terrible burning in her mouth.

An hour after they ate, Levy found herself walking down the beach with cotton candy in one hand and Gajeel's warm hand in the other. She smiled, this moment was so perfect.

"Oii, Shrimp, whats up?" Gajeel asked, sounding as relaxed as she did.

"I had no idea Magnolia had a beach. Or that were almost at its shore for the past few hours."

Gajeel laughed, "How could you not have known? Maybe when it gets hotter, I'll bring you here during the day?"

Levy smiled, "That sounds amazing."

They carried on walking down the beach, the stars twinkling and the waves slowly crashing against the shore.

"Okay, so what's you favourite Disney movie?" Gajeel asked her.

She smiled, "Beauty and the Beast."

Gajeel's eyebrows shot up, "Really, why?"

Levy shrugged, "I just loved the Beast. He had this super intimidating and crude way about him, but once she got to know him, she found out he was actually intelligent, and caring and kind. I love the way he became her favourite book and she became his favourite song."

Gajeel smiled, "Good point."

Levy laughed, "And you, Gajeel Redfox, do you believe in love at first sight?"

Gajeel laughed, "Definitely not, you see the thing about love at first sight, is that looks can be deceiving."

Levy nodded, and they carried on talking until it became too windy for them to stay outside.

The ride back was filled with a warm and relaxing silence.

Levy was surprised when she saw the lounge empty and checked the time, it was 2am, she realised.

Gajeel walked her to her apartment door, and she turned around, kind of nervous.

"I had a really great time." She said, giving him a tired smile. He smiled back, "So did I."

"Maybe we can do it again sometime?" She asked, her heart fluttering.

Before she knew what was happening, Gajeel bent down and placed a feather light kiss on her lips. Levy was surprised, but instantly returned the gesture, deeping the kiss by a fraction.

All too soon Gajeel pulled away, "Definitely." He answered, to her previous question.

"Good night Gajeel." Levy whispered.

"Good night Levy." Gajeel replied.

Levy watched his retreating figure with a smile, he was definitely someone special...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Levy stretched out on her couch and turned the page of her book. This was the last book of the series she had been reading, so she was really excited to finish it.

As usual, she got lost in the adventure that was taking place in the old pages. The thrill was so much that she could have screamed and the mystery kept her wanting more and more. She felt like a drug addict, getting high on her latest fix.

All to soon, she had turned and read the last page. She smiled sadly to herself, everything had worked out for the characters, but not for her, she was far from ready to say good bye to them.

She placed the book on her table and walked into the kitchen. Cheese puffs should make her feel better, they always did.

She grabbed a bag of them from the cupboard and was digging in the refrigerator for a can of cola when she felt an unpleasant tingle. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she whirled around to see who was there.

The lounge was empty.

Levy shook her head and walked back to the couch.

She's been feeling like someone was watching her since she came to Magnolia. She always played it off as her over active imagination mixed with being away from home, so she normally just ignored it. But this time felt different, too real to be a figment of her imagination.

She grabbed the TV remote when she realised something that made her blood run cold, the book was no longer there.

Levy shot up and faced the passage. Her heart beating out of her chest and fear laced in her system.

She saw a shadow in her room doorway just as the door slammed shut.

Levy covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her scream. She stumbled back and grabbed her phone, retreating to the kitchen.

She sent a text to her boyfriend, knowing she was too scared to talk so phoning would be pointless. She pulled out a kitchen knife, silently praying that she wouldn't have to use it for anything other then cutting onions.

In less then five minutes, Gajeel stormed through the front door, almost walking straight past Levy.

When he saw her, he cupped her cheek, panic in his eyes, "Levy? Are you okay? What's going on?" He asked, clearly worried.

Levy shook her head and bit her lip, "Th-th- there's someone in my room." She whispered, her eyes big and lips trembling.

Gajeel nodded and began a slow walk towards the room, with Levy behind him.

He pushed the door open, revealing an empty room.

Levy gasped when she saw her book lying on the floor and her window open. She distinctly remembered locking it when she got home.

Gajeel turned around to face her, "There's no on here..."

Levy took a deep breath, "That book, was on the couch, in the lounge." She said, her voice small.

Gajeel's pierced eyebrows shot up, "I need you to tell me the full story Shrimp, but first, let's get out of here." He said, gently grabbing her hand.

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Gajeel walked his girlfriend up to his apartment and sat her down on the couch.

He sat next to her and couldn't help but smile as she curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest.

His smile faded when he saw her expression. Her lips were pulled into a frown and her eye brows were furrowed, he could tell she was scared.

"Oii, Shrimp, what happened?" He asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Levy recapped everything for him, starting with the book. Gajeel found himself more angry then concerned.

Someone was messing around with his girlfriend, and he sure as hell did not appreciate it. Someone was watching her every move, for only God knows what, but he was gonna give that person hell should he ever get the pleasure of meeting him.

Gajeel looked down at Levy, and saw that she was fast asleep. He chuckled to himself and checked the time, it was just after midnight.

He sighed, no way in hell was he going to let Levy sleep alone in her apartment right now, she'd be scared out of her wits.

Looks like it was the couch for him, he decided as he picked up Levy. She made a small moan of complain, clearly not happy about being disturbed. How she was able to sleep after something like that, was beyond his level of understanding.

He placed her gently on his bed and pulled his grey sheets up to her chin. He smiled at her, this damn Smurf became much more important to him then he had anticipated.

He was just about to leave when Levy mumbled something. He turned around and she shook her head sleepily, "Don't. Go" she mumbled.

He smiled at her and sat on the edge of the bed, "You okay Shrimp?" He asked, holding her hand.

She nodded slowly, "I'm tiiiirred." She yawned, closing her eyes.

To hell with it, Gajeel decided, slipping into the empty spot next to her. Levy smiled contently and turned around. A few moments after that, Gajeel drifted of to sleep as well.

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Levy woke up the next morning feeling groggy but refreshed. She yawned and nuzzled into the pillow, which did not smell like her own.

Her eyes shot open and the events of the pervious night flooded her mind. She shivered thinking about it.

She felt someone shift next to her and something heavy and warm wrapped around her waist. She craned her neck and smiled when she saw Gajeel, fast asleep.

She dropped her head back on the pillow and thought about what she was going to do next. She really didn't want to get the police involved, because that meant her parents would probably drag her back home, and that thought was more terrifying then anything else.

She bit her lip and decided to hope that last night was nothing except someone breaking in and running away when they were caught.

She felt more movement next to her and she knew Gajeel was awake. She turned around so she was facing him, and was greeted by a warm smile, "Now this I can get used too..." Gajeel said, yawning. Levy laughed and placed a kiss on his nose, "Good morning to you too."

They spoke about nothing in particular for a little while, before Gajeel cleared his throat, "So, what do you want to do about last night?" He asked.

Levy sighed, she knew Gajeel wouldn't be happy with her decision, "Nothing." She responded, with finality in her voice.

"No." Gajeel said, his voice heavy.

"Maybe it was just a thief who got caught and ran away..."

"Maybe not."

"Gajeel, can we please just leave it?"

"Absolutely not!"

Levy felt tears burn her eyes, "If we report this, we have no physical basis and it will get my parents involved..."

Gajeel ran a hand through his messy hair, "Maybe them getting involved is for the best." Levy shook her head vigorously, "Them dragging me back to that cold place is not. I can't stand it there Gajeel."

Gajeel sighed and pulled her towards him, "Fine." He muttered, but placed a kiss on her forehead. Levy smiled up at him, "Thank you."

Gajeel stood up suddenly and checked his phone, "Oii, Shrimp, do you have any plans for today?"

Levy shook her head, staring at him curiously, "Nope, why?"

Gajeel shot her his signature smirk, "How do you feel about visiting someone with me?" Levy arced her brow, "I don't mind, but who?"

Gajeel's smirk got bigger, "My old man." Levy felt her eyes widen, "You want me to meet your dad?"

He nodded, "We'll leave as soon as you're ready." Levy shot out of bed and almost sprinted to her own apartment.

This was a big step in their relationship, Levy realized, both excited and terrified.

She knew that Metallicana had adopted Gajeel from a really bad orphanage when Gajeel was seven. He taught Gajeel how to fight and grew him up into the man he was now. Levy also knew that Metallicana was an army Sargent before Gajeel. Whenever Gajeel spoke about him, it was always with grudging affection.

Levy took about an hour to get ready, opting for a yellow dress and white pumps.

She met Gajeel outside and they started the two hour drive.

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Gajeel tried to hide his anxiety during the two hour car ride, but somehow he knew he was doing a terrible job at it. He couldn't help but feel nervous, the two most important people in his life were finally going to meet and if it didn't go well he didn't know what he'd do.

He wondered if he was going too fast with Levy, but they had been dating for over five months already, so he shook the idea out of his head.

He felt her squeeze his hand reassuringly, he smiled at her, she somehow always knew what was going on his head.

He took a deep breath and took the final turn, revealing his childhood home.

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Levy gazed at the house Gajeel grew up in, it wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. It was painted grey and was clearly well kept, even though it didn't look very inviting.

Gajeel pulled into the drive way and met her at the front of the Range Rover. He took her hand, smiled at her and led her towards the front door.

He knocked on the door three short times and Levy heard shuffling on the other side. A minute later a middle aged man opened the door.

He glared at Gajeel and Gajeel glared back. "Brat." The man, who Levy assumed was Metallicana, called Gajeel. "Old man." Gajeel responded.

"You still have that nasty look in your eye." Metallicana stated, "Although something in you has softened, and for that I am glad." He said, grinning.

He then stepped aside and allowed them through. Levy turned around and almost screamed, Metallicana's face was inches away from hers.

"From your close proximity to my son, I assume you're his girlfriend?" He asked in a slow calculated tone. Levy pulled herself up to her full height, which wasn't much compared to him and boldly responded,"As a matter of fact I am, sir."

Metallicana moved away and threw his head back and laughed, "For a little girl like you, you have a lot of bite. I like it!"

Gajeel put his arm around her shoulders, "I knew you would!" He said, grinning.

Metallicana clapped his hands together and rubbed them, "Its not everyday my brat of a son visits me! Who wants lunch?" He asked, already guiding them to the kitchen.

The rest of the visit consisted of laughter, teasing and the occasional cuss word. Levy smiled watching the father and son interact, they were so much alike that it was funny. They next to never agreed on anything and always bickered, but Levy could feel the love and pride.

After a few hours, they decided to leave. Metallicana walked them to the door. "Oii, Girl scout" Metallicana called, using a new nick name he had created for her. "Yes?" Levy asked, smiling.

"Take good care of my son for me okay, I can tell you're something special." Levy's smile widened, "Of course."

"Oh and Gajeel?" He called. Gajeel responded with a noise somewhere between a snort and a grunt.

"You still have that nasty look in your eye..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Levy let out an annoyed huff, pushing her wet hair out of her face. The one day she thought she had a late class was the one day the sky had to rip open and drench the earth in the form of a terribly heavy down pour.

Because she had wrongly assumed she had a late class, she forced Gajeel to go back to the apartment block without her. He said he'll come and pick her up, but she wasn't about to sit around in the cold for the next three hours and do nothing.

Levy wasn't crazy or anything. When she decided to walk the somewhat long journey home, it had just been light drizzle. Now however, it was raining extremely hard and she saw flashes of lightning every now and then.

She was debating calling Gajeel or Lucy for a ride home, but as luck would have it, her cell phone was nuzzled warmly on charge in her room.

She lifted her head up and looked at the grey, almost black, clouds. She loved storms, but today was just not her day.

While she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking, her foot hit a muddy puddle of water. Levy hissed and jumped away from it, but she was too late, she could feel the water seep through her pumps and practically freeze her feet.

Letting out a list of uncharacteristic profanities, she hugged her arms closer to her and carried on stomping in the rain.

She was the only person stupid enough to be outside in this storm, so she stopped paying attention to where she walked.

She walked a little while, looking down at her muddy feet and picturing the perfect shower she was going to have when she got home.

Levy hit something hard and with a groan of pain, fell flat on her butt. She whined when she felt the water soak through her jeans.

She glared up at the person she had bumped into and felt the blood drain from her face.

The guy towered over Levy with a familiar smirk, and crystal clear blue eyes. He roughly grabbed her by both her arms and pulled her up.

Levy was frozen stiff when she realised who this oh so familiar person was. She whimpered when he leaned in close to her, their faces mere inches apart. "You're such a klutz Lev." He all but purred.

Then without warning, he straightened and snarled at her, "Not now." He told her, his voice cold and crisp. He turned around and jogged in the opposite direction, eventually fading out of sight.

Levy watched his retreating form with horror etched into her expression. It couldn't be, she thought, her heart racing and blood running cold.

No way, not a chance! She decided. She felt her bottom lip tremble, and her cheeks felt warm, she was crying.

On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Levy walked the rest of the way home, barely feeling the rain drench her already ice cold skin.

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Gajeel was walking around the common lounge, looking for Pantherlily. He knew how terrified his furry friend got during storms.

Lily could take on dogs three times his size and caught birds almost everyday, but once he heard the crack of thunder, he was hiding in a small dark area.

Gajeel always found Lily and offered him moral support by carrying him around like a little baby and staying in his apartment with Lily hiding under his sheets.

Right now however, Gajeel was frantically looking under couches and tables for him. This storm was exceptionally bad, meaning Lily was freaking out somewhere.

With a smirk of victory, Gajeel reached under the last couch and pulled out his feline best friend. Gajeel securely tucked him against his chest and stroked his back.

He stood up slowly and gently shifted Lily to a more comfortable position.

Just as he stood up straight, he saw a head of blue hair dash through the door and up the stairs.

He raised his eyebrows, there were only two blue heads in Fairy Tail and one of them was sitting with her boyfriend at the bar right now.

Gajeel flinched and checked the time, wondering if he got so caught up in finding Lily that he forgot about his arrangements to pick up Levy. His eyebrows inched higher up, he still had two hours before he had to pick her up.

He tightened his grip on Lily and walked up the stairs, following the wet trail. He sighed when he saw where it stopped, at Levy's door.

He put Lily down, and watched him run in the general direction of their apartment.

He knocked on Levy's door three times, and got no answer even though he could distinctly hear a soft sound from the other side. Was it sobbing? He realised, with wide eyes.

He knocked on the door harder, "Levy if you don't let me in, I swear to God I will climb in through the window!" He yelled.

A few seconds later, he heard the door click open. The door opened slowly, revealing Levy who was red eyed and drenched.

Gajeel's eyes widened as he stepped inside And turned to the bluenette, "Why are you soaking wet?!" He almost yelled.

Levy, who had ignored him, walked to the living room an sat on the floor, her back leaning against the couch. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead against them.

Gajeel sighed, went to her bathroom, grabbed a towel and walked back to lounge. He gently eased her up on the sofa and began wiping her head. He took out her shoes and lead her too the bathroom.

He demanded that she took of her clothes, and ignored the blush that crept up his cheek as he went to her room and pulled out sweat pants and a jersey from her cupboard. He looked the other way as he tossed her the clothes.

After five minutes, he dared a peek because she was taking so long. He was relieved to see her dressed fully in the clothes he gave her, but he felt a pang of dread when he saw her tear filled eyes.

He lead her back to the lounge and sat on the couch, pulling her against him.

"Levy?"

"Mhm?" She answered in a soft voice.

"What happened?" He asked, playing with her hand.

"Gajeel?"

"Mhm?" He mimicked.

"Do you, umm, do you believe in ghosts?" She asked, her voice almost disappearing at the last word.

Gajeel's eyes widened and he gently turned Levy around so that she was facing him, "Levy, what happened?" He asked, feeling fear in the pit of his stomach. Levy's eyes welled up with tears again, and a sob rocked her tiny body, "I-I-I saw someone that sh-sh-should be de-de-dead." She muttered, between soft sobs.

"What? Levy you need to be more clear about this." He coached her, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him, "He was my best friend, and I'm the one responsible for his death." Her voice broke at the last word.

"Levy, I need you to open up to me and tell me the full story." He told her, cupping her cheek.

She nodded slowly and started fiddling with her fingers.

"It was about ten years ago, I was nine and I had only one friend, who was ten. His name was Luke and we did everything together." She told him, a small, sad smile on her lips.

"One day, I had a brilliant idea, or so I thought. I was gonna run away from home, and have my own adventures and live my own life, away from the heartless people who were raising me. I was still a kid so of course I had to tell my best friend about it."

Her lower lip started to tremble, so Gajeel grabbed her hand.

"He came to try and stop me, the world isn't fit for a little girl of course. Somehow, I managed to convince him to come with me. So that night, with back packs filled with candy bars and old clothes, we set out."

She sighed, and took a deep breath.

"It was winter and the snow was piled up, so nobody was out and about, especially at midnight. We walked, laughing and talking about all the adventures that we were gonna have, all the fun..."

Gajeel squeezed her hand slowly.

"That was when it happened. Out of nowhere we were surrounded by a group of older boys. They wanted our money and phones, and when we told them we didn't have any, they started beating us up."

The tears were now flowing freely down her pale cheeks.

"That's when one of them pulled out a knife. Luke put up a huge fight and yelled at me to run while everyone was distracted, so I did."

She was shaking from the sobs, so Gajeel pulled her against him, letting her rest her head on his chest.

"I turned around once, just in time to see him get stabbed in the gut. I ran until I found an adult, they phoned the police but when we went back to the scene, the only thing left was a crimson patch on the snow. We all assumed they dumped the body, but nobody could find it."

She looked up at Gajeel, pain evident across her delicate features.

"It was a closed casket funeral..." She said, covering her face with her hands.

Gajeel stroked her still damp hair gently, "Levy, I'm so so sorry..."

She buried her face into his chest, "I saw him today on my way home, he spoke to me and when he touched me, he felt solid and real, but that's impossible!"

Gajeel kissed her on her forehead, feeling her calm down and freak out at the same time, "I'm sure this has a logical explanation, okay." He told her.

She curled up against him, "Maybe it was the rain and what happened with the book the other night playing trick on me..?"

Gajeel ran his hand up and down her back, "That's exactly what it was..." He reassured her.

Gajeel knew that wasn't it, and he knew Levy didn't believe it either, but right now, laying next to each other, was good enough for the both of them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Levy walked into the common lounge with a content smile on her face, she had just walked home from an early class and the weather was absolutely beautiful. Summer was finally kicking in, and Levy was not complaining.

Her smile turned into a look of confusion when she walked in. Everything was more chaotic then usual, and that was saying something.

Everyone was running around in groups of two, with excited grins and energetic movements.

Levy spotted Gajeel and the gang hanging around one of the tables, they seemed oddly calm, even Natsu and Grey were relaxed.

She walked up to them and was practically tackled by Lucy. "I call dibs on Levy!" Lucy screamed, glaring daggers at Gajeel.

Gajeel snorted, "Fine by me! Just don't think I'm gonna take it easy on you because my girlfriend is on your team."

Levy felt even more confused. She looked at Lucy, "What's going on?" She asked suspiciously. Lucy paused, after a second her eyes gleamed with realisation, "Oh yeaaaahhhhh, it's your first year here. Almost everyone else are second years, so I kinda forgot." She said with a shrug.

"Anyway, every year, about a week before summer break, Fairy Tail has a survival game to determine who gets to take over the penthouse apartment on the top floor."

"Survival game?" Levy asked, still confused.

"Basically an over glorified water fight. Although, once you're hit, you're out." Gajeel explained.

"Also, it's the best way to get revenge and show who's boss!" Natsu screamed, suddenly animated at the thought.

Grey hit Natsu on his head, "Laxus won for the last three years, but he's graduating this year, so we actually stand a chance." Grey said, failing to hide his excitement.

"Also, you have to do this in teams of two, so you and your partner will share the penthouse, and as you may have noticed, you and I are now partners!" Lucy exclaimed.

Levy smirked, this sounded like fun and had an amazing prize too. She looked at her boyfriend, "So who's your partner?" She asked.

Gajeel fist bumped Natsu, "Salamander." The boys smirked at them, "This is gonna be so much fun!" They said in union.

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Gajeel woke up to the alarm he had set the day before, it was just after 6am and the survival game had technically started six hours ago.

He showered and changed into an all black outfit, completed with his favourite fingerless gloves. He was super amped to get this game started, and hopefully be the one to end it.

He loaded three water pistols and had them in easy reach, one hooked on his hip, one strapped his back and one in his hand. He also had a backpack filled with water bottles, in case he needed to reload fast.

He walked over and pulled out the walkie talkie Salamander had bought, he clicked the switch, "Salamander?" He asked, checking if his partner was awake.

"Black Steel." He heard Natsu respond, using his newly found code name.

"Ready to strike?" He asked, already knowing who his first victim was going to be.

"Aye sir!" Natsu yelled.

Gajeel slipped the communicator into one of the pockets of his black cargo pants and snuck out of his apartment, quietly moving to the meeting spot he and Natsu had decided on the night before.

He smiled to himself, that penthouse was as good as his.

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Levy groaned loudly as she was shaken awake by Lucy, who had stayed the night. Levy reached out and grabbed her phone, it was just after 6:30am. She dropped the phone and tried going back to sleep, she was promptly kicked off the bed.

"Ooowwwwwwww" she whined, from her new spot on the floor, "What the hell Lu?"

Lucy sighed in response, "Oh come on Lev, I even went in the shower first so you could sleep a little longer."

Levy nodded and got up, "I'm going to shower!" She stated, grabbing her stuff and practically running into the bathroom.

Levy and Lucy were fully dressed in their matching and tweaked out camouflage gear. They wore camouflage shorts and black tank tops with camouflage jackets over. Their hair was in sleek, pulled back pony tails and they had black combat boots.

The pair armed themselves with their water guns, two on their backs, two on their hips and one in their hand. They both also had backpacks filled with everything they thought they would need.

Levy was impressed with how much shopping they had done for this day, but she loved how it seems to be paying off.

They opened the door slowly and made sure everything was clear before they made a mad dash to the place where the first part of their plan would take place.

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Gajeel smirked as he shot water at yet another unsuspecting player. The girl, who had long purple hair and wore glasses, screamed and shot him a terrifying death glare. By being shot she not only disqualified herself, but her partner as well.

Natsu high fived Gajeel, that was the third team they took out and it's only been an hour.

Gajeel spotted his high school friend, Juvia. She was paying attention to something, but Gajeel couldn't see what. He tapped Natsu on the shoulder and his partner grinned, "Dude, she's wide open, let's go!" Natsu said, already moving.

Gajeel grabbed Natsu's shirt, holding him back, "Who do you think her partner is?"

Natsu dug in his backpack and pulled out binoculars, "I don't see...OH! Its Cana! And she's already drunk by the looks of it." Natsu said triumphantly. Gajeel nodded and they both started moving out at the same time.

Gajeel crouched behind a tree next to Juvia, taking careful aim, he had only one chance to do this. He took a deep breath and stabilised the gun, he was just about to shoot...

A large spray of water hit Juvia in her side, causing her to jump up and squeal. Gajeel stiffened and moved closer to the tree, searching his surroundings.

"THAT'S HOW A REAL MAN DOES IT!"

Gajeel heard the roar of, who could only be, Elfman. With a fast jump, Gajeel caught a branch of the tree and climbed up, aiming his pistol downwards.

He smirked when he saw the huge white haired guy walk near the tree. Gajeel was about to shoot when he heard Elfman scream, "Natsu! I see you!"

Gajeel looked down and saw his partner freeze, surprisingly, Natsu was actually well hidden, his gun pointed at Grey.

"Gajeel! I see you up there!" Grey yelled. Gajeel climbed down the tree and easily aimed his gun at Elfman. "Nice eyes you got there Stripper." Gajeel said, as way of greeting.

The four now stood in a deformed circle, with both pistols drawn, one facing each of their enemies.

None of them dared to move, knowing a simple twitch could leave them wide open. Gajeel felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead, this was almost too much tension.

Gajeel looked at his partner and moved his eyebrow up a fraction of an inch, signaling attack. He was about to pull his trigger when he heard a snap. He looked at ,the suddenly wet, Grey with wide eyes. Then it clicked, water balloons!

He wasted no time in running for cover under a tree. He nodded at Natsu who was under a smaller tree, before climbing up again, in hopes of getting a better vantage point.

Grey was walking away in shock when another balloon came crashing down on him, "OH COME ON!" Grey screamed, annoyed.

The last balloon was all Gajeel needed to see to know where exactly the balloons originated from.

He looked up at the roof just in time to see one more balloon fly down and crash inches away from Natsu.

Gajeel shook his head, a smile on his lips, whoever had the balloons were long gone now.

But this was officially war.

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Levy laughed as she and Lucy ran down the stairs and away from the roof.

The plan worked to a certain extent, they had easily eliminated Grey and Elfman, although the last two balloons were misses. Levy flinched when she remembered hitting Grey twice, oh well, she thought, this was survival of the fittest after all.

Lucy, who was covering the front, skidded to a halt. Levy looked ahead and froze, a team was standing with their pistols aimed directly at them.

"Freed, Bickslow. Give up now and we won't tell anyone that we were the ones to beat you." Lucy negotiated, a cruel smile crossing her face.

The boys looked at them, their gazes shifting from Levy to Lucy and back and forth a few times, before bursting out laughing.

Lucy cast a sly smile at Levy and Levy returned it, "Never underestimate a lady in need." Levy purred, before tossing a small black rectangle at them.

It landed a few centimetres away, and the boys froze, lowering their weapons an inch, and stared at the object.

Levy and Lucy wasted no time, they pulled the triggers and drenched the distracted boys. "Aaaaw, scared of a wooden block are we?" Lucy teased, clearly impressed that their distraction worked.

The boys cussed and sighed, "I must admit, that was by far the dirtiest and yet smartest trap I have ever encountered in this game." Freed said, pushing his wet green hair out of his eyes.

"Baby! That was smaaaarrttttt and gross!" Bickslow ranted, before they walked away.

The girls high fived and kept moving forward.

They surprise attacked several teams and before they knew it, they had cleared out the entire apartment building.

They walked downstairs, still weary of the threats that were outside, and walked into the deserted common lounge.

Lucy walked over slowly to the bar, checking for hiders behind the counter. Levy turned towards to the door when she saw the two people she had prayed she didn't have to go against.

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Gajeel and Natsu had cleared the outside area completely, and had braced themselves for the team that by now had cleared inside. Gajeel had his money on Freed and Bickslow, that duo could do serious damage, the weren't Laxus' best friends for nothing.

However, when Gajeel and Natsu walked into the common lounge, they saw the last thing they expected.

Levy was standing with her pistol up and aimed..at them.

"Shit!" Gajeel cussed, pulling Natsu behind him and kicking a table on its side, using it as a make shift shield.

He looked desperately at Natsu, who looked as shocked as he felt. Gajeel needed to come up with a plan, and fast.

With a deep breath, he pulled out his other gun and motioned for Natsu to follow his lead.

He crouched, peered over the table and took a quick aimed shot at Levy. To his surprise, she dodged it like a pro.

Natsu followed in suit and shot again, by then Levy and Lucy had their own table shield up.

The teams traded shots fast, neither of them hitting the target. Gajeel's brain finally clicked as he came up with a brilliant plan.

He quickly whispered it to Natsu, who excitedly complied.

With a smirk and the sweet taste of victory on the tip of his tongue, Gajeel put the plan into motion.

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Levy was breathing heavily and had the rush of adrenaline still pumping in her veins. This was one show down she was actually enjoying.

"Oii Shrimp!" Gajeel called.

Levy looked at Lucy who shrugged and glared at the ceiling, clearly frustrated.

"Gajeel?" Levy asked.

"You and Bunnygirl cleared out the whole building?" He asked.

"THAT WAS LAST YEAR HALLOWEEN, GAJEEL!" Lucy screamed, angry at the use of the nickname Gajeel had gifted her with.

Gajeel laughed, "How about we make a wager guys?"

Levy arced her brow, interested, "We're listening."

"The winner gets to make the loser do something."

"Like?" Lucy asked, interested too.

"I don't know, clean their room for a week or something." He responded lamely.

"You're on!" Lucy yelled.

"A deals a deal girls!" Gajeel yelled.

"We know!" I yelled back.

There was a loud thud coming from there side of the room and Levy looked at Lucy, she was pale. "Natsu was quiet for too long!" Lucy whispered, panic in her hushed voice.

Levy counted to three before standing up slowly, Lucy followed.

They were face to face with the business end of a fire hose.

"I'm all fired up now!" Natsu yelled, as he let it loose.

Levy and Lucy were soaked to the bone in less then a second.

"DAMN IIIITTTTTTT" The girls screamed, although they couldn't help but laugh. "Guess you win." Levy said with a smile mixed with a pout.

"Now what do you want us to do?" Lucy asked, trying to shake her arms dry.

Natsu smirked, "Lucy, you are going to go out on a date with me!" He yelled triumphantly. Lucy blinked, "Natsu, I would have said yes if you asked me before!" Natsu blushed, "Oh.."

"Come on guys, we're gonna miss the bonfire!" Gajeel yelled, shoving all three of them out the door and into his Range Rover.

They made it to the beach just as the sun set and the stars came out. Everyone else was already there, sitting around a pile of dry wood and talking. They cheered when Natsu and Gajeel announced themselves as the winners.

The two boys lit the fire and everyone was instantly cast into the warm light of the fire. After about ten minutes of congratulations and cheers,everything died down to relaxed conversations and roasting marshmallows.

Gajeel came and sat behind Levy, pulling her close to him, so that his legs were on either side of her and she was nestled against him.

She tipped her head up, "I had a lot of fun today." She told him.

He tiled his head down, their faces inches apart, "So did I."

He closed the gab and his lips crushed into hers, sending shivers down her spine the way they always do. She kissed him back, enjoying the feeling of him taking over her senses.

She pulled away first, breathing heavily, "You never told me what you wanted me to do." She told him, gazing at the sea.

He rested his head on top of hers, "I want you to invite your parents to Magnolia for a little while." He said.

Levy froze, "You're kidding right?!"

Gajeel shook his head, "You need to make right with them, I know you're uneasy about it and you won't be happy until you know they accept all of this." He said, gesturing at everyone.

Levy smiled to herself, "You just want me to introduce you as my boyfriend to them!"

Gajeel chuckled, "Yep, that's definitely it."

Levy sighed and snuggled closer to him, "I actually think you're right, Gajeel."

He kissed the top of her head, "I always am."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Gajeel nervously checked the time on his phone, he still had roughly ten minutes before he needed to get his butt downstairs and act like the perfect male human.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror, with his long and unruly black hair, crimson eyes and a face filled with metal, he was far from what he needed to be.

For the first time in his life, Gajeel seriously regretted getting all his piercings, and why, for the love of everything holy in this world, did he not cut his hair.

Gajeel ran a slightly sweaty hand over his face, God he was nervous. Sure he had met the parents of his previous girlfriends, but he was never this nervous, or come to think of it, he wasn't nervous at all.

He looked up at the ceiling and smiled to himself, that blue haired Shrimp really did have him wrapped around her tiny finger.

With a sigh, he walked down to the common lounge, trying desperately to hide his fear and nervousness.

When he walked into the lounge, he instantly saw the one thing he hoped he wouldn't. His girlfriend was standing there looking like a, very attractive, hobo.

Levy was wearing one of Gajeel's old sweatshirts, white bunny slippers and had her hair in a huge messy bun on top of her head.

To make matters worse, the sweat shirt stopped mid thigh, showing of her legs, and had the sleeves pushed untidily up to her elbows.

Gajeel loved Levy's unkempt look, but right now, his little rebel needed to look beyond decent.

Gajeel rolled his eyes as he walked up to her. He was greeted with a smile that made his stomach feel weird and his cheeks get warm. "Good morning." She said, her tone cheerful and bright.

Without saying anything in response, Gajeel picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She wiggled and tried to fight back, failing terribly, "Gajeel, you brute! Put me down!" She yelled.

Gajeel shook his head, "Not until you look like you actually take care of yourself!" He yelled back.

He trudged towards the staircase, ready to throw her into her apartment and lock her in until she looked presentable.

He had just reached the staircase when he heard the main door open. Gajeel froze and silently prayed it wasn't who he thought it was.

"LEVY?" He heard a feminine voice practically shriek.

He cussed, he had exceedingly bad luck. He placed Levy down gently and slowly turned around.

Gajeel found himself staring face to face with what, or rather who, felt like death itself.

A middle aged women with light blue hair and an expression that looked like she had just taken a huge bite of a lemon, was glaring at Gajeel and Levy. The woman was standing next to a slightly older man who had black hair and wore glasses. He was single handedly, the scariest thing Gajeel had ever seen.

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"Mum! Dad!" Levy said, with forced excitement. She walked up to the pair and gave them each an awkward hug. Hugging her mother was like hugging a pillar, cold, weird and something she would never want to do often. Her father on the other hand, was soft and warm and smelt like home.

She smiled at them nervously, "Welcome to Fairy Tail!" She exclaimed, walking them to the door of the common lounge, she wanted them to meet Gajeel privately.

Lucy saw them stand at the door and made her way to them, she smiled brightly, "Hi! You must be Mr and Mrs McGarden! I'm Lucy!" She said, extending her arm. Levy's mother clasped and shook it, "Nice to meet you Lucy." She said.

Levy smiled and linked her arm with Lucy's, "Lucy is my best friend. I have no idea how I would I survive without her!" Levy exclaimed, knowing her mother would approve of the well dressed and polite blonde.

Her mother smiled, "Won-"

"Hey Luuuccceee!" They heard a voice scream, cutting off whatever her mother was going to say.

Natsu ran down the stairs, dressed oddly in a tux, he tripped over his untied shoelaces and went tumbling down the stairs, knocking over, and taking Gajeel down with him.

"WHAT THE HELL METAL HEAD! YOU TRIPPED ME DIDN'T YOU?!" Natsu yelled at Gajeel.

"Shhhhhhh!" Gajeel hissed, motioning to Levy's parents.

Natsu's eyes widened and his lips formed into an 'o'. He got up and dusted himself off, before sauntering towards them.

"Well hello there." Natsu purred. Levy's eyes widened. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, a good friend of your wonderful daughter." He said, his voice like honey.

"Wow Lev, that rugged look is a good one for you, too bad you always dress like a church girl." Natsu purred, winking at Levy.

Levy silently cussed, Natsu just ruined her whole unapproving outfit.

Natsu rested a hand on Lucy's lower back, "Well Luce, are you ready to leave?" He asked.

Levy realised that he was dressed up for his first date with Lucy, she grinned, "Well we won't keep you waiting, see you guys around!" Levy said, smiling at her friends. They smiled back and walked out.

"Well, what colourful friends you have." Levy's mother told her, with a stern tone.

"I would personally like to know who the young man that was carting you away is." Her father said.

Levy laughed nervously, "Why don't we go upstairs to my apartment first?" Levy said, with a nervous laugh.

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Gajeel walked nervously behind Levy and her parents, so much for a good first impression, he thought.

They walked into her apartment, and sat down on one of the couches. To his utter dismay, her father sat down next to him.

"Mother, Father. I would like you to meet Gajeel Redfox, my boyfriend." Levy announced, in a loud, rushed voice. Gajeel felt Levy's father stiffen.

"B-boyfrie-ie-nd?" Her mother and father stuttered in union. Levy nodded and beamed at them, "Yup!" She said, before shooting Gajeel an evil look and rushing of into the kitchen, to prepare their drinks, leaving him utterly alone.

Her mother cleared her throat, "So Mr Redfox, what are you majoring in?" She asked.

Gajeel smiled, a question he could actually answer, "I'm a second year, IT major." He answered.

Levy's mother had a reluctant, impressed look on her face, "Oh my."

"What are your plans for after collage?" Levy's father asked.

Gajeel shrugged, "I signed on with Exceed international. Its a small time position for now, but I can definitely work my way up." He answered.

Mr McGarden's eyes widened, "That's a huge company." He stated.

Gajeel smirked, "It is, I was lucky enough to be recognised and of course I jumped at the opportunity to sign on with them."

"That's very impressive, Gajeel." Mrs McGarden said.

"How long have you been seeing my daughter?" She asked, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Just over five months." Gajeel responded, the time clicking instantly in his head.

"I must say, your daughter has quiet the attitude." Gajeel said, laughing.

To his surprise, they laughed with him, "She is indeed a very outspoken young woman." Levy's father said, pride in his voice.

"She was clearly brought up right, so it all makes sense." Gajeel said.

Just then Levy walked in, "Okay, I got everyone's drinks." She said, handing out the coffee and tea.

"Well I hope you three weren't gossiping about me." Levy said, taking a sip of her coffee.

The three laughed, "Of course not." Gajeel said.

Gajeel was a bit confused when he saw Levy smiling at them warmly, almost approvingly.

The four sat and spoke about everything for a while, Gajeel felt completely comfortable and content.

"So, Mr and Mrs McGarden, how would you feel about meeting my father tomorrow?" Gajeel asked, knowing they were only staying until tomorrow.

They smiled at him, "That sounds fantastic." Her father said.

Gajeel smiled, they may like him after all.

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Levy glared at Metallicana, who was laughing to the point of tears. He had made another short joke about her, and now everyone was laughing like it was the funniest thing on earth.

They had arrived an hour ago, and Metallicana had successfully managed to drown Levy in short jokes, tease Gajeel, charm her mother and become practically best friends with her father.

"Well obviously Gajeel was raised with a good influence." Her father said, still chuckling lightly.

"I could tell Girl Scout came from an approving home, because she actually carried herself well." Metallicana said, staring point blank at Gajeel, who simply slouched back and rolled his eyes.

The parents spoke for a while more, before Gajeel got up and walked to where Levy was sitting, "Let's leave the old people to talk." He said, offering his hand. Levy smiled and grabbed it.

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Gajeel led Levy out to the backyard. His mind was instantly flooded with memories of his childhood.

Memories of playing tag with Metallicana, camping in his small tent with just a sleeping bag and flash light, and a hundred other things, good and bad.

Levy walked towards the tyre swing he had built.

She sat down and pushed herself forward, "I can picture a tiny Gajeel playing on this." She said, grinning.

"It took me around a month to make this trash heap." Gajeel said, standing behind her and pushing her gently.

"A month?!" She asked, clearly surprised. Gajeel shrugged, "The old man wanted it to be strong enough to be able to carry him."

Levy laughed, a sound Gajeel knew he would never get tired of, "Why would he need it to carry him?" She asked. Gajeel smiled to himself, "He needed to show me good wasn't good enough, so I had to go there extra mile to impress him."

Levy smiled, "That's a pretty good lesson." She said.

The pair walked back inside, just in time to hear Levy's mother say, "Oh! And a little bit with long black hair!"

"What's going on?" Gajeel asked, plopping down on a couch. Levy sat next to him with one eyebrow up.

"Just talking grandkids!" Levy's mother responded.

Gajeel turned a bright red and scoffed, choking on his saliva. Levy had her face buried in her hands, vigorously shaking her head, "Oh my God, really guys?!" She practically shrieked.

"Okay, this is the part where we leave." Gajeel said, standing up. Levy shot up too, "Awesome plan!"

They said their good byes, and still managed to chat a little bit, before Gajeel got them all out and safely away from his adoptive father.

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Levy was surprised to find out that she was actually sad to see her parents leave, something had changed between the three of them during this two day visit.

She watched her father drag Gajeel out of ear shot, and smiled up at her mother.

They were standing outside the apartment building, in front of her parents car.

Levy took a deep breath and prepared herself for her mother's judgement on Fairy Tail and her new life.

To her astonishment, her mother smiled warmly at her, "Levy, you seem to have met good people here, and you started something great with a special someone." Her mother said, glancing to where Gajeel stood, pale faced and stiff. "I am so, so happy that you have found somewhere to really call home." Her mother said.

Levy stared speechless at her mother.

"Time to go." Her father said, walking back and hugging Levy goodbye. "Goodbye baby." He told her. "Bye daddy." She responded.

She glaced at Gajeel, he was pale and looked like he had seen a ghost, "You okay?" She asked him. "Your father is an intimating man." Was all he said.

Levy laughed and looked at her mother, "Good bye." She said.

Her mother looked at her, "I'm so happy you finally found who you are." She said, kissing Levy on the forehead.

Her parents got into the car and began reversing out the driveway, "Oh and Levy?" Her mother called, rolling down her window. "Yes?" Levy asked.

Her mother smiled, "I'm proud of you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"What about the beach?" Natsu suggested.

"We went there last week Flame Brain!" Grey yelled.

"Oh yeah, well I don't see you coming up with anything Ice Princess!" Natsu yelled back, picking on Grey's strange habit of eating ice cubes, well its not a strange habit if you think about his tendency of stripping.

Levy sighed and put her book down, glaring at the two boys who were still arguing about the undecided plans for the night. Levy was allowed to sit this one out, seeing as she hardly knew any places here.

"Maybe we could just stay home and have a small get together." Mira offered. Everyone responded with groans, nobody wanted to celebrate their birthday at home, especially not Lucy.

"The idea is to go somewhere and party for my birthday." Lucy said, giving Mira an apologetic smile.

"We could- ouch! Hey!" Natsu yelled, whirling around and glaring at Levy, who had just thrown her book at him. "What was that for?!" He yelled. Levy shrugged, "I didn't want any of my brain cells dying by listening to your idea." She said, knowing it was gonna be something that would goad either Grey, Laxus or Gajeel into a fight.

Gajeel snickered, but it was cut short when he saw Levy's death glare, "There's more books where that came from, Gajeel." Levy threatened.

Levy turned back to the group, smiling, "Now, does anyone have any actual ideas?" She asked. Lucy mouthed a thanks at her, which she returned with a grin.

"We could always go to Edolas." Jellal stated, shrugging.

"That's a pretty cool idea." Laxus said, clearly liking it.

"Its been ages since I've been there!" Erza said, just realising that fact.

"Edolas is always fun." Gajeel added.

"Then Edolas it is!" Lucy said, failing to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Uhhmm, what's Edolas?" Levy asked, having no idea what they were talking about.

"Its a night club just outside of Magnolia. Every time Juvia goes there, its like Juvia is in another world!" Juvia said, trying to explain.

Levy sunk into the couch, night clubs and all that stuff really wasn't her scene. She would much rather stay at home and read a book.

"Oii Shrimp, you okay?" Gajeel asked, noticing her sudden change in demeanour.

She smiled, "Uh, yeah, of course I am." She said, deciding to go and try to have fun with her friends.

The group sat around and spoke for another hour, everyone bursting with excitement about the new plan.

Eventually Lucy and Levy went to Levy's apartment to plan their outfits and the other girly stuff they only did when they had too.

"So how are things going with Natsu?" Levy asked her best friend, whilst rummaging through her closet looking for her nail polish set.

"Pretty good. Well, great actually." Lucy said, and Levy could hear her smile. "He's actually not as thick skulled as we thought he was, he has this sensitive side that I never knew he was capable of having, or even understanding."

Levy found her kit and walked back to Lucy, "I figured, so I take it he treats you right?"

"He does, he's great." Lucy said, smiling to herself. Levy smiled too, those two were beyond perfect for each other.

The girls chatted as they did each others nails and watched TV. Lucy told Levy about the lame birthday wishes she got from her family back home and the weird gifts she had received.

"So what are you gonna wear?" Lucy asked, admiring her sparkly pink nails.

Levy shrugged, "Probably jeans and that blue of top of mine." She said nonchalantly.

Lucy flicked her on the forehead, "Oww" Levy complained. "Oh hell no." was all Lucy said, standing up and marching towards Levy's cupboard.

Levy rolled her eyes and followed the blonde, who was already tossing clothes everywhere in the room.

"Aha!" Lucy screamed, pulling out a tiny scarlet dress.

"Oh no." Levy said, reluctantly looking at the red piece of material.

"Oh yes!" Lucy said standing up. "You're wearing that, with those black strappy sandals I love." Lucy giggled, tossing the dress at Levy.

Levy tossed it right back and shook her head, "No way in hell! I got that slutty monstrosity when I was sixteen!" She complained.

"And yet you kept it." Lucy smirked.

"It was a gift!"

"Don't care."

"Lucy, I'm not wearing this!"

"You are."

"Not today Satan!"

"You're gonna wear it cause its my birthday and I'm asking you too." Lucy said, finality in her voice.

Levy cussed, "Fine."

Lucy did a small victory dance before heading for the door, "Get dressed, and see you in a few." Lucy said, waving and walking out.

Levy groaned and sat on the bed, the dress in her hand. She glared at the damned thing as if she was hoping that it would catch on fire and turn to ash. She thought about giving it to Natsu, begging him to burn it, but quickly dismissed the idea.

With a sigh of defeat, she got started on getting ready.

After Levy showered and had eaten, she was back in her room, glaring at the dress again.

With a huff, she slipped into the silky material.

The dress was plain scarlet silk and stopped a little bit after her butt, hugging her limited curves tightly. It reached up to her collar bone in front, but the back had a deep dip, revealing most her back, and stopping at her waist. The sleeves were off shoulder and reached all the way down to her wrists. The only thing Levy liked about the dress was the hidden pocket it had on the side, she would kill for a pocket on her favourite dress.

She left her hair to tumble down her face in the wavy blue curls she was born with. She put on the black strappy sandals and dared a look in her full length mirror. She threw her head back and groaned, she looked like an expensive hooker.

She applied her usual make up, which was basically eye liner, mascara, and a little bit of lip gloss.

Grabbing her purse she, she tugged her dress down lower and walked downstairs.

She walked into the common lounge and was immediately greeted with a loud cat call. She blushed, and rolled her eyes, walking to her group of friends who were staring at her wide eyed.

Gajeel was at her side in a second, a pink tint in his cheeks. He pulled her to the side and bent down so his mouth brushed her ear, "There are no words I could possibly put together to begin describe how incredible you look." He practically growled, sending a set of shivers down Levy's spine.

He brushed his lips against hers, coaxing a gasp from her mouth. She could feel him smile against her mouth as he pulled away. She moaned in protest and he chuckled, clearly liking the effect he knew he had on her.

Linking her arm through his, the pair walked backed to their group who simply gave them knowing smiles.

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They stood in line at the club for a solid hour before getting to the front of the line. They had a bit of trouble because the bouncer didn't believe that Levy was over eighteen, he even thought her ID was fake.

They were eventually let in after intimidation from Gajeel and Laxus and a bribe.

When they walked into Edolas, Levy had to admit that it was like stepping into an entirely new world. It was extremely inviting.

It was huge room was filled with florescent and neon lighting, a bar that stretched from end of the room to the other, a chill section filled with tables and chairs and the occasional couch, a huge dance floor filled with people their age and older, and a stage where a band,Levy has never heard of, was playing a fast paced song with a metallic beat.

Everyone went and sat down at one of tables, Gajeel absent mindedly handed Levy his phone for safe keeping. She slipped into her pocket, deciding her bag was too much effort. Lucy ordered the first round of drinks, something called a Concussion.

The drink arrived in tinted glasses so it was hard to see what the actual liquid looked like.

"Okay everyone, first things first, you all need to drain that, every last drop!" Natsu said standing up and smirking.

Levy gulped and nuzzled further into Gajeel's side, she wasn't a heavy drinker so this wasn't good.

"Three."

"Two."

"One!" Natsu yelled, counting them down.

Levy grabbed her drink, scrunched up her nose and began downing the thin liquid. She shivered and put the now empty glass down, her head already felt weird and light.

Natsu ordered the next round, something called WipeOut. When Levy saw the dark liquid, she suddenly felt excited.

The group downed the drink and everyone split up to either get more alcohol or dance. Gajeel, Levy, Lucy and Natsu went to the bar.

Gajeel bought them shots of something Levy couldn't pronounce. They downed it and Levy was surprised to find out that she enjoyed it.

She bought them the next round of it and once she gulped that down, she was pretty sure the world was spinning.

Lucy dragged her to the dance floor and they danced through a song, having no idea what the words were. At that moment, Levy didn't care about the fact that she had as much rhythm as a bar of soap.

Eventually she walked back to the bar where Gajeel was sitting and apparently arm wrestling Natsu to see who would buy the next round.

She kissed Gajeel on the cheek and ordered another WipeOut.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Gajeel asked her, grabbing her hand and tugging her to him.

She looked up at him and kissed his nose, he had a nice nose, she decided. Gajeel arced a brow at her, "Shrimp?" He said, trying to get her attention. She was focusing on his piercings now, they suited him, gave him an edge, even though he was kind of a marshmallow.

She reached up and touched one of his eyebrow piercings, it just felt like metal. Well what was it supposed to feel like anyway? She wondered.

"Levy!" Gajeel said, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

She giggled and grabbed her drink from the bar, downing it instantly. The world was definitely spinning now, a blur of bright lights, loud sounds and lots of people, Levy loved it.

She tugged Gajeel's arm, "Boooyyyffrrriiieeennddd!" She yelled, trying to pull him, he refused to budge, "You need to sit down." He told her. She stuck her lower lip out, "Dance with me!" She said. "Pleeeeaasseee!" She pleaded. He sighed loudly and followed her.

She turned around and looked up at him, damn he was handsome, she thought, smiling smugly.

Then she realised something, "I can't feel my toes!" She said, panicking.

"Okay, time to go home." Gajeel said, laughing.

"I want something to drink." Levy said, walking to the wall. She looked up at him, "Water please?" She asked Gajeel.

He scoffed, "I'm not leaving you alone in this state."

"Please just get me water before I dehydrate..."

"Come with me then."

"I don't wanna leave the wall."

"Really?"

"Really."

Gajeel rolled his eyes, "You're gonna stay here?" He asked.

Levy nodded, she really didn't wanna move right now, and her head hurt terribly.

He kissed her on her forehead and walked back to the bar.

She stood for a second and suddenly felt nauseous. She ran outside, deeming it closer then the bathrooms and found the closest secluded area.

She puked in the bin on the side and when she felt a little better she stumbled a few steps back, and her back hit the wall. She enjoyed how cool it felt through her dress and leaned fully against it.

"Well you look sloshed." A cool, silky voice told her. She laughed, but didn't look up, hoping the person would just leave.

"So Levy, do you remember me?" The voice asked. She froze and jerked up straight.

She found herself staring into crystal clear blue eyes, but it lacked warmth, like a frozen wasteland.

Levy shook her head and walked towards the entrance again, she was not in the right state of mind for this.

A hand grabbed her wrist, "Not even gonna try?" The guy asked.

Levy whirled around, "Touch me again and I will scream bloody murder!" She yelled, finally getting a good look at the guy.

He was tall, almost as tall as Gajeel, he was well built by the looks of it, with ginger hair. He was so familiar and yet he felt like a complete stranger.

She pulled herself free and carried on walking towards the club, her eyes stinging with tears.

"I really didn't want to do this..." She heard him say.

Instantly she felt a crash against the back of her head, everything went out of focus as she saw the pavement hurtling towards her. She whimpered as her world changed into a suffocating black.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Gajeel glared at the bartender, "Oii!" He called, for what must have been the fifth time. Apparently the young man was too busy flirting to actually do his job.

Gajeel looked around and grabbed the first thing he saw, an empty can, and hurled it at the bartender, aiming precisely for his head. He smirked to himself when the can's target hit.

The bartender turned around, and stalked towards Gajeel, "What was that for?!" The man yelled.

Gajeel raised his eyebrows, "Well, Mest." he said, reading the name tag, "I've been waiting for you to do your job, so do it before I do it for you." He snarled, letting his threat linger in the alcohol tainted air.

"Fine, what will it be?" Mest asked, admitting defeat.

"A glass of water, and do you have any aspirin?"

Mest poured the water and dug through a small box, pulling out the headache tablet, "You don't look drunk though." He said, sliding both the items over to Gajeel.

Gajeel simply shrugged, "Believe me, I'm not. Its for my girlfriend."

"The tiny blue head girl?" Mest asked, his voice taking a worried tone.

"Yes, know her?" Gajeel asked, arcing hi eyebrows.

"No, saw your group of friends come in, pretty hot chicks you hang out with." Mest responded.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and was about to walk away when Mest interrupted, "Oh, I had a point for asking you, I saw the bluenette run out of here about fifteen minutes ago, she looked like she was gonna hurl."

Gajeel instantly went to the last place he left her, abandoning the water and pill. He cussed loudly when he saw she was no longer there, he should've known better then to leave her alone, especially when she was drunk.

He ran outside, figuring the scar faced Bartender was right. Knowing Levy, she was probably throwing up somewhere, or maybe passed out by now.

He jogged along the side of the building, his stomach sinking when he didn't see her.

He was about to give up and go search inside when something from the alley around the corner caught his eye.

He walked towards the object and felt something dark settle in the pit of his stomach, it was a feeing he didn't recognise, but he didn't have time to figure out what it was.

He picked up the familiar handbag, and quickly went over its familiar contents. He cussed when he saw Levy's phone was still in there, that meant he had no way of communicating with her.

He checked around the alley, praying that he would find her curled up somewhere.

When it became evident that Levy was no longer in the area, Gajeel ran back to the club, he needed to tell the others, they had to find her and fast!

As he ran, he realised what the, now intense, feeling in his stomach was:

Fear.

.

.

.

Levy woke up feeling groggy and cold. Her head felt like a crazy person with a jack hammer had moved inside, and her neck was stiff.

She groaned and tried moving, oddly enough, her arms and legs wouldn't budge. She tried moving her arms again, when she realised her entire position was wrong.

She slowly opened her eyes and felt dread, fear and worry settle over her in a sick combination. She was in a dark room, the only light coming from a crack in what must have been the door.

Her hands were tied in front of her with a thick rope. She tried wiggling her wrists free, but they were tied too tightly.

She tried moving her feet, and of course thy were tied too. She bit back her feeling of panic, she needed to figure out everything first.

She tried shifting forward, but her torso was tied to the chair she was sitting on.

She read enough crime books to know that after figuring out your position, you need to figure out your location. She took a deep breath, trying to sniff out anything helpful.

She was greeted by the smell of salt water. The beach...? She wondered, knowing the smell of the ocean. She took another deep breath, definitely the ocean, she decided.

She tried paying attention to noises, she could hear the distinct sound of waves crashing into the shore, no not the shore, these noises were to loud, the waves were crashing into something else. Rocks maybe?

She thought about the layout of the beach, she had only been there about three times, and once was at night. She didn't remember any rocky places, but then again, she always went to the swimming section and by the lack of laughing children, she knew that she was nowhere close.

She took an deep breath, fighting off the nausea and panic she was feeling. The situation was bad enough, but she just had to be hungover too.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. She whipped her head towards the direction of the door and flinched, she moved too fast and she wanted to puke.

She took shallow breaths and kept her head up, hoping it would subside.

"Hi Lev." She heard a voice laugh. She flinched at the cold, chipped tone.

The lights came on, making Levy yelp. She was in the dark for so long that her eyes needed time to adjust.

She slowly looked around the room, there were buckets and fishing poles littered all over the fall. An abandoned fisher's shed? She wondered.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her kidnapper. Every drop of blood in her system froze and she forgot how to breath. She stared at the playful blue eyes she had the fondest of memories with.

He smirked at her, playful but deadly, he reminded her of a lion.

He walked towards her, his eyes gleaming and his smirk widening. "Remember me?" He purred, crouching in front of her. Levy slowly nodded, she did remember him, just not like this.

"Then say my name." He commanded, his voice like silk.

Levy shook her head, she wasn't ready to say it, because that would mean she admitted that whatever was going on was real.

He chuckled and shook his head, "You'll say it." He said, standing up.

"H-how are y-you a-a-alive?" Levy asked, hating herself for stammering.

He simply shrugged, "I don't feel like telling."

Levy fought down another nausea spell, "Answer me!" She practically yelled. Bad move, her headache got worse and she almost lurched forward from the pain.

He smiled, "Say my name."

"L-luke." Levy said, giving up. She knew this was real, and he was alive, so right now, all she wanted were answers.

"My full name." He growled.

"L-Luke Eden." She said, feeling her eyes well up with tears.

"Or known as?" He asked again, trying to draw out the name Levy used to call him.

"Jet" Levy said, sobbing. She called him that because of his love for racing on the playground, he was the fastest kid in their class.

"Niiicee." He purred, walking back to her. She looked into his eyes again, they were exactly as she had remembered them, except they no longer held the innocence she had once loved. She felt his lack of warmth disturbing, and yet it wasn't at all unusual.

"So you do remember me." He said, leaning in close and whispering in her ear, "I was afraid that you have forgotten."

"Answer my question." Levy said, praying that he would move away from her.

"And what question was it again?"

"How are you..how are you still alive?"

"Oh. Someone wished me back with the dragon balls."

"Don't screw with me!"

He laughed, "Alright, Alright. The same gang that stabbed me took me in."

Levy felt completely confused, "Took you in?"

"Yes, after begging for my life, they took me in. Made me apart of their little family."

Levy shook her head vigorously, "Why didn't you come back?!"

He shrugged and starting pacing, "They wouldn't let me, but at the same time, I guess I didn't want too."

She stared at him in disbelief, "You didn't want too?!" She yelled, her fear being over ridden by anger.

"You abandoned everyone! You're parents, your friends, your life, me!" Levy yelled, refusing to cry and unable to stop herself, "Do you have any idea how much your parents cried! YOUR MOTHER TOOK HER LIFE!" She yelled, remembering the emotionless face of Mr. Eden, attending his wife's funeral just two months after being at his son's.

Jet reacted so fast that Levy didn't see him move. She felt a huge sting on her face and her head snapped to the side. It took her a moment to realise what had happened, he hit her. She felt tears sting her eyes but she refused to cry, he didn't deserve the pleasure of seeing that.

"Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother." He growled. "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO TOOK ME AWAY FROM HER! THE ONE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HER DEATH!" he roared.

"AND YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! I'VE HATED MYSELF MORE AND MORE FOR IT EVERYDAY!" She yelled back.

He turned around and starting walking away, but Levy needed to tell him one more thing, "You could have stopped it from happening. I may have been the reason for being out there that night, but you were the reason everything else that happened, happened."

He stalked towards her, and grabbed her by the chin, yanking her up. "You little bitch." He snarled, throwing her against the wall.

She fell limp against wall and slid down to the floor, "You're wrong. My best friend did die that night, and that was my fault. But the monster you have become is not him."

Without another word, Jet turned around and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Levy whined as she tried to get to sitting position. All she managed to do was roll onto her other side. She sucked in a deep breath when she felt something jab into her side. She struggled and managed to sit up, checking what hurt her hip.

She realised that it was in the hidden pocket of her dress. With tears from pain rolling down her face, she moved her hands and managed to unzip the pocket. She ignored the rope as it cut into her skin, she needed to see what this was.

Her hands gripped the cool metal and instantly knew what it was, Gajeel's cellphone! She couldn't believe she had forgotten it.

Staring at the door, she unlocked the phone and sent a silent prayer for Lady Luck to be her side.

.

.

.

Gajeel paced up and down the common lounge. Its been nearly ten hours since Levy vanished and nobody in Fairy Tail managed to get a wink of sleep.

Their first stop was obviously the police station, but the idiots there said you could fill out a missing persons form after 24hours, and after that, they'll see what they can do.

Gajeel had promptly cracked three walls, and ripped open his knuckles, he needed her to be safe.

He turned to Lucy, who was sitting against Natsu on one of the couches, she called him again. He growled and responded, "What?"

Lucy gave him a confused look, her eyes were red from crying, she was taking this as bad as he was so Gajeel decided to back down, "What is it?" He asked, I'm a calmer voice.

"Why are you texting me?" Was all she asked.

Gajeel furrowed his brows and reached in his pocket for his phone, which he realised wasn't there. It took him a second to realise what was going on.

He grabbed Lucy's phone, reading the text:

Beach.

Fisherman's shed.

"Levy has my phone!" He yelled, giving Lucy her phone.

"I know this place! Its down by the rocks, the only shed on this side of the beach." Natsu said, already standing up.

Without another thought, Gajeel grabbed his keys and got in his car, not waiting for anyone as he raced off.

.

.

.

Levy managed to send two brief messages to Lucy when Jet came back. Apparently he calmed down quickly, "I'm sorry Lev, I don't want to spend this time fighting." He said, hauling her up and roughly put her back in the chair.

"Luke-" she began.

"Actually its Droy now, had to change my identity. You know how getting your life taken away can be." He said, smiling.

Levy bit the inside of her cheek, he was trying to make her loose her temper again.

"Fine, Droy. That night, in my apartment." She said, hoping he would know what she was talking about.

"Oh yes, that was me. Good book choice by the way." He cockily responded.

"Why now though?" Levy asked, playing it cool. It was all she could right now.

"I don't know. I saw you driving past in that Range Rover, and I knew it was you. So then I thought, how come you got to go to a nice collage, meet friends, talk to your parents and basically live, and I couldn't. So I'm short, I've decided to stop you from getting what you want." He answered, his tone impossibly playful.

Levy didn't respond, instead she looked down. She knew he was beyond the point of reasoning.

They sat in silence for a while. He was just smiling smugly at her while she tried looking everywhere but at him.

"Why won't you look at me?" He asked, anger seeping into his voice.

"Why not just kill me?" She asked, fearing the answer.

"Oh don't worry your cute little head over it, I will. But for now, I want you to suffer." He said.

He walked to her and grabbed her by the chin again, his fingers digging into her already bruised face, "And suffer you shall."

He was interrupted by the door breaking open. Levy tried looking, but she couldn't move her head in his iron grip.

"Looks like we got company..." Droy growled, letting go of Levy. She fell face first on the floor, ignoring the pain, she looked up to see her boyfriend.

Relief flooded through her until she saw Droy pull out something from his jeans. A gun.

Her warning scream was drowned out by the sound of a shot being fired.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Gajeel's hands were shaking and he could no longer see straight, he was way past the point of being furious. He always assumed that if he was ever put in this position, he would have a clear mind with a single thought, saving the person, but right now his mind was a savage jumble of emotions and ideas.

He relied on his instincts and was surprised to see how animalistic he became, like a dragon who's princess was snatched away by an evil counterpart.

He instantly spotted the small, rusty old metal shed that was nestled between the rocks and trees. He knew he wouldn't have noticed it if he didn't know exactly what he was looking for, so he sent a quick thanks up to whoever was watching him.

Without a moments hesitation or thought, he kicked the shed's door down, barely phased by the dust or noise.

He stormed in and instantly spotted his girlfriend, Levy was trembling in the grasp of a ginger haired man. He had his fingers wrapped around her chin and a sick smirk spread across his face.

He turned slowly and grinned at Gajeel before tossing Levy aside like a ragdoll. He gave Gajeel a cool smirk before pulling something out of his back pocket.

Gajeel heard Levy scream a warning but her hoarse cry was drained out by the sound of gunfire.

Relying on only instinct and adrenaline, Gajeel threw himself to the side, knowing he wouldn't be able to avoid the bullet but he could avoid it hitting a vital spot.

He felt searing hot pain as the bullet buried itself into his left shoulder. He grunted and clutched the shoulder with his good arm, "Bastard." he spat, feeling his warm blood seep through his shirt.

The man laughed, "You can call me Droy."

Gajeel smirked, "Well at least now I know the name of the person I'm gonna end."

Droy threw his head back and laughed, "What does she see in an arrogant prick like you."

Gajeel ignored the pain in his shoulder and stood upright, "Better an arrogant prick than bat shit crazy, I always say."

Gajeel looked at Levy properly for the first time since he had gotten there. She was attempting to stand up, her wrists were red and scraped open and she had a dark bruise developing on her cheek. Her lip was cut and her eyes were wide opened and filled with a mixture of pure terror and concern. She was pale and her cheeks had tear stains.

Gajeel instantly lost the little bit of self control he had managed to keep. He charged at Droy and paid careful attention to the gun that was now aimed at him, he heard a shot being fired and easily dodged, knowing exactly where the bullet was headed.

Gajeel had trained with his father at the military base since he was ten, so he learned how to predict where the bullet would hit by simply watching where the gun was pointed and assuming the right angles. This was the first time he actually put his training to the test, so he was pretty impressed with himself.

He smirked at Droy's surprised expression but didn't give him enough time to recover before crushing his fist into the man's face, feeling Droy's nose crunch with the connection.

Droy staggered back and cussed, holding his now bleeding nose. Gajeel stepped forward and struck another punch. To his surprise, Droy dodged and hit him with an uppercut, causing Gajeel's head to snap up.

Gajeel was then tackled to the floor, groaning when his head hit the ground with a sicking crack. Droy punched him again, and Gajeel tasted blood in his mouth, the bitter copper taste snapping him back into reality.

He headbutted Droy with all the power he could muster and ignored the white spots that clouded his vision for a moment.

Both men used the moment of confusion and pain to stand up. Gajeel glared at Droy with heated anger and Droy glared back with pure hatred.

"You're not really Droy are you?" Gajeel asked, spitting blood, that guy could definitely throw a punch.

"So Levy has told you about me huh." Droy said, mimicking Gajeel's action by spitting blood.

"What was is? Luke?" Gajeel asked, honestly not sure.

The man smirked, "That was my name, once upon a time."

In a flash Luke rushed up to Gajeel and planted his elbow in his face, causing Gajeel to yell and stumble back. Gajeel froze when he felt metal against his stomach.

He glared at the gun and then at Luke. A sickening smile spread across Luke's face and in that moment, Gajeel could have sworn demons were real. "Game OVER." Luke purred, ready to pull the trigger.

Gajeel took a breath and watched Luke's finger flex, "Jet!" Gajeel heard Levy call, her voice tiny and breaking. Luke's head snapped to the side, "Levy darling?" He called back, keeping his eyes fixed on Gajeel.

"I-I-I just ca-called the police and they're on their way. S-So if I we-were you, I'd r-run." Levy said, her voice cracking and a fresh batch of tears rolling down her cheeks.

Droy whirled around, "You don't have a phone..."

Levy brandished the small silver device that belonged to Gajeel.

Gajeel used the distraction Levy provided to snatch the gun away from Luke. Without a second thought, he crushed the handle into Luke's head, watching his stunned expression slowly fade into a blank one.

Gajeel immediately ran to Levy and enveloped her into a tight hug. He felt her snuggle in closer and rest her face in the crook of his neck.

Gajeel knew not to say anything, Levy didn't need words, she already knew plenty, what she needed was a mountain in a sandstorm and Gajeel was more then happy to play that part.

He felt her quiet sniffs turn into huge sobs that made her whole body tremble. Gajeel held her, stroked her hair and whispered reassuring things her ear, because at that moment that was the only thing he could do.

They stayed like that until the police arrived moments later. Gajeel was feeling woozy from blood loss so he was carted of in ambulance, the last thing he remembered was seeing Levy tackled into a hug by Lucy who had just arrived, followed by everyone else.

Gajeel sighed, knowing he was on the verge of passing out. He reluctantly allowed his world to slip into a blissful darkness.

.

.

.

Levy clamped her trembling hands together and took a small breath, she still hadn't come to terms with everything that had happened, and in all honesty she didn't want too.

She answered every question that the police shot at her and was finally allowed to leave the station, three hours later.

Her wrists were bandaged and she had three stitches on her lip. The ugly bruise on her cheek was covered with a plaster and would probably go away after a few days.

She was happy that she didn't have any physical scars, but she was petrified about the scars nobody would see, the ones on the inside.

She knew she wasn't okay, she also knew that it would be a while until she would be, but she didn't really care about that right now.

She was sitting on a chair with her head resting on Gajeel's hospital bed, he was unconscious for the last couple of hours because of blood loss but the nurses told her that he should wake up soon.

She felt movement and her head shot up so fast she was afraid she might have gotten whiplash. She looked up into the warmest pair of eyes she had even seen. A smile broke across her pale face, something she didn't think she would do for a while.

Gajeel smiled back, he didn't grin or smirk, he actually smiled back, teeth and all.

Levy stood up and placed a kiss on his nose, "Welcome back to the land of the living."

He laughed, "Well I couldn't not come back, imagine all the threatening letters you would leave at my grave!" Gajeel forced a shiver and Levy laughed, something she also thought she wouldn't be doing for a while.

Gajeel's face suddenly went serious, "So what did I miss?"

"Luke will be behind bars for a very long time, you were only out for a few hours, my parents are on their way as we speak, Metallicana is gone to buy coffee and there's probably the whole of Fairy Tail standing outside this room." Levy responded, briefly summarising.

Gajeel nodded, "And you?"

Levy gave him a sad smile, "I'll be alright."

Gajeel leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "Take your time okay, I'll be right there with you."

Levy felt warmth seep through her body, like the first sip of hot chocolate on a cold day. She looked up at Gajeel and smiled to herself, she was unbelievably lucky to have met him and she knew it.

"Gajeel?"

"Shrimp?"

"Thank you."

Gajeel blinked, "Don't thank me, I did what I did because I wouldn't be able to live without you."

Levy blushed and looked away.

"Shrimp?"

"Gajeel?"

"Look at me"

She sighed and looked up, and was practically knocked breathless by the look Gajeel was pinning her with. She had never seen so much emotion in his expression before and she could have spent hours reading the story in his crimson eyes.

He cupped her cheek lightly, as if he was afraid she was going to vanish, "Levy, I love you. And I know that you just went through hell so I don't expect a response right now but I just need you to know that I love you and I'm sorry it took me so long to say it but I do, I really, really do."

Levy's eyes widened and she felt her mouth open an inch, she had never expected Gajeel to be the first one to say that three worded phrase between the two of them but here he was.

It was Gajeel's turn to look away with flushed cheeks now. Levy smiled, she knew her response was true and she felt it through every fibre of her being.

"Gajeel?"

"Levy?"

Levy stood up and gently pulled Gajeel's head to her, slowly pushing her lips against his and smiling when he responded by kissing back. She pulled away before he had the chance to deepen the kiss, their mouths less then an inch away,

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that, this is probably my favourite so far, if you guys enjoyed it, please let me know


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